Gareth Bale and Peter Crouch celebrate the Tottenham opener
HAVING worked so hard to regain their place at Europe’s top table after 50 years away, Harry Redknapp must have wondered whether his players really have the appetite for football at this level.
Tottenham started their first game in the group stages of the Champions League in the best possible fashion, controlling affairs for the majority of the first half and taking a two-goal lead after 18 minutes courtesy of a Petri Pasanen own-goal and a towering Peter Crouch header.
But by the end, Redknapp’s charges were lucky to come away with a share of the spoils as defensive lapses and a spirited Werder Bremen response led by the wily Marko Marin, scorer of the equaliser, brought parity.
Tottenham’s start was in stark contrast to the way they conceded three in half an hour when they played Young Boys of Berne in the first leg of their play-off qualifier to get to this stage. But you never know what you are going to get with Spurs. And that point was proved when Werder Bremen were allowed back in.
For many, Spurs might have seemed the underdogs last night given their lack of Champions League experience. Werder Bremen were starting their seventh campaign in Europe’s elite competition while it was the Premier League side’s debut. But boss Redknapp was having none of it, and insisted his side could go on and win Group A, despite the fact it also includes holders Inter Milan, who drew 2-2 with FC Twente.
And they began like they believed every word their inspirational boss had said as they ripped into a stunned Bremen, who could not deal with the pace and power of Gareth Bale on the left of midfield.
Welshman Bale ran them ragged and caused havoc for the opening goal. He raced on to a through-ball from Benoit Assou-Ekotto in the ninth minute and went past the full-back. His cross was heading for Crouch and the quality of the ball forced Pasanen to slide it into his own net.
It was the perfect start for Redknapp’s side, who suddenly looked old hands at this Champions League lark.
And the 3,000 Tottenham fans who battled the pouring rain to get into the Weserstadion were in dreamland in the 18th minute. The goal Crouch scored was of the highest quality. But then again, so was the build-up. Jermaine Jenas, preferred to Wilson Palacios in midfield, hit a magnificent first-time volley to the left wing, where Rafael van der Vaart was waiting.
He crossed brilliantly and Crouch climbed almost three feet above the German defence to power into the top corner.
Spurs should have been out of sight. Bale was twice denied by fantastic saves from Tim Wiese and Bremen were forced into a first-half change, bringing on Aaron Hunt to shore up the midfield. But then, for some reason, Spurs seemed to lose concentration and hit the suicide button.
From nowhere, the German side got a goal back. Assou-Ekotto lost the ball in the 43rd minute to Brazilian Wesley. Ledley King allowed Hugo Almeida to get in behind him as a cross came in and Carlo Cudicini stayed rooted to his line, leaving Almeida to head home.
It shook Spurs, and they did not seem to have recovered by the time they came out for the second half because within two minutes Bremen had their second.
The Spurs defence backed off Marin, who used the space he was given to drive a shot just inside Cudicini’s right-hand post. It got worse when playmaker Van der Vaart limped off with a calf strain to be replaced by Robbie Keane.
The home side’s comeback could have been complete in the 55th minute when Almeida bore down on goal. But Kaboul and King did just enough to put the Portuguese striker off and he blazed over the crossbar.
Bremen had slowed the pace of the game right down to suit themselves and nullify Spurs’ counter-attacking style. Marin threatened again, driving another fierce shot into the side-netting and Hunt continued to look dangerous.
Tottenham did create their own chances in the second half, with both Jenas and Crouch going close, but they will have been left with an empty feeling in their stomachs coming away with only a single point.
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